Why Tellepsen

In the Community

In the Community

Tellepsen has a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the community that has contributed to our success.

Helping to Build Our Community

For over a century, Tellepsen has been afforded opportunities to assist in the growth of the Greater Houston area in both public and private sectors. Our founder, Tom Tellepsen, instilled in us a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the city that has contributed to our success. Tellepsen remains active in strengthening Houston through volunteering, fundraising and many other community initiatives.

Active Roles in Leading and Educating

Four generations of Tellepsens continue to give time, resources and talent to a wide variety of community projects and organizations.

Local Initiatives

YMCA

The Tellepsen family’s involvement with the YMCA dates back to the early 1900s when Tom Tellepsen took architectural drafting classes at the downtown YMCA. He later served on the YMCA Board of Directors for many years. His commitment to serving the organization opened a pathway for subsequent generations of Tellepsens to serve. To date, four generations have served on the YMCA board. Tellepsen continues to partner with the YMCA to build facilities for Houstonians to work, play and grow, including:

Post Oak Family YMCA Parking Garage and Expansion, 1986
Edgar A. Smith YMCA Renovation and Expansion, 1991
Lake Houston YMCA, 1993
The Post Oak Family YMCA Renovation
Langham Creek YMCA, 2003
The Alvin Family YMCA, 2007
The Perry Family YMCA, 2007
The Tellepsen Family YMCA, 2009

United Way

Since the inception of the United Way in the early 1950s, the Tellepsen family has been personally involved in its leadership. Howard Tellepsen Sr. served as chair of Houston's final Community Chest campaign in 1950 and again the following year when the organization began operations under the United Way name. Today, the Tellepsen family continues active involvement in the United Way's programs, as well as leadership of Tellepsen's annual campaign.

Boy Scouts of America

For generations, the Boy Scouts of America organization has held a special place in the Tellepsen family. Howard T. Tellepsen was well-known for his tireless support of the Houston-area Boy Scouts of America, serving as the leader of the Boy Scouts three-state regional panel. He and his son, Howard Tellepsen Jr., each served as chairman of the Sam Houston Area Boy Scouts. The family continues to support the organization and in 2003 completed construction of the new Boy Scouts Sam Houston Area Council Headquarters.

Houston A+ Challenge Teacher Externship

Tellepsen is proud to be involved with the Houston A+ Challenge Teacher Externship program, designed to immerse teachers with business professionals in their field of study. During their week-long externships, teachers spend time touring Tellepsen job sites and speaking with project managers and superintendents about their experience in construction and the lessons learned that can be applied to students in the classroom. By interacting with the industry experts at Tellepsen, teachers are able to craft lessons and learning points for students that are relevant to the workplace.

Tellepsen Family YMCA begins construction
January 10, 2009

Houston Mayor Bill White helped the YMCA break ground on the new Tellepsen Family YMCA in downtown Houston, which will occupy approximately 120,000 square feet including a teen center and child watch area, women’s wellness center, community meeting space, chapel, group exercise rooms, racquetball and much more. The new facility will allow the YMCA of Greater Houston to serve thousands of children, young adults, men, women, seniors, and families. The Tellepsen Family YMCA downtown will blend proud traditions and dynamic plans, creating a state-of-the-art facility at its new location on 808 Pease St.

Art of Houston Construction Day
January 29, 2008

Houston artists and craftsmen who have helped shape the city’s architectural landscape were honored on January 29, 2008, as the day was proclaimed “Art of Houston Construction Day” by Houston Mayor Bill White. For the proclamation event, Houston artist Dr. Valentin Gertsman and Tellepsen Builders Chairman and CEO Howard Tellepsen presented the mayor and Houston council members with copies of Dr. Gertsman’s third and recently-released compilation, Construction Site = Art. Dr. Gertsman’s work features photography works depicting the rise of some of the city’s most well-known landmarks from 1985 to 2007. Tellepsen is the major underwriter and an essay contributor for the compilation.

Tom Tellepsen Park
September 11, 2008

Tom Tellepsen Park, a mainstay in the central Houston community since 1976, celebrated a rebirth after being closed for nearly two years. Tellepsen Builders helped fund a complete rebuild of the park that had been razed during reconstruction of the adjacent elementary school. Named after the founder of Tellepsen Builders, Tom Tellepsen Park is a public park featuring additional green space, two large play centers, benches, picnic tables, a walking/running track and a covered area for events.

Tellepsen stands-down for safety
May 21, 2007

To demonstrate the importance placed on safety, Tellepsen took time out from building on May 17, 2007, for the Tellepsen Safety Stand-Down, an industry-wide initiative to role model the seriousness with which safety must be taken. All Tellepsen employees took a moment to reflect on what making safe choices really means to them, their families and their coworkers. Tellepsen now conducts this safety demonstration annually at its headquarters and project sites.

First Texas LEED-certified K-12 school built
October 10, 2007

Partnering with the Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District, Tellepsen constructs West Brazos Junior High, the first public K-12 school to receive LEED certification in Texas. Designated for high-performance sustainable buildings, the LEED-certified educational facility includes a reflective roof and the use of locally harvested and produced building materials to reduce transportation pollution.

Howard T. Tellepsen Seafarer’s Center
May 17, 2006

Howard T. Tellepsen is recognized for his 14-year service as the Port of Houston Authority chairman with a public dedication at the Houston International Seafarers’ Center. For Tellepsen’s construction of the facility in 1970 and Howard’s time and dedication to the center, Port of Houston Authority Chairman James Edmonds officially unveiled the Howard T. Tellepsen Seafarers Center, which will continue to keep seamen off the streets and out of danger while fulfilling social and spiritual needs. The center provides billiards, basketball and swimming recreation; a 40-language Bible program and chaplain center representing multiple denominations; international phone services and Internet access; and transportation between the center and seafarers’ ships.